


portrait of the after (you)

by summers_end



Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Character Death, Drama, Eddie Kaspbrak Loves Richie Tozier, Fix-It of Sorts, Ghost Eddie Kaspbrak, IT Chapter Two Fix-It, IT Chapter Two Spoilers, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Internal Conflict, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, Moving On, Mutual Pining, Post-Canon, Post-IT Chapter Two (2019), Richie Tozier Loves Eddie Kaspbrak, Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-23
Updated: 2020-03-23
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:21:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 833
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23281663
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/summers_end/pseuds/summers_end
Summary: A mangled sob pierced the air, crying out in the darkened night. A mournful melody that surpassed the sorrowful yowling of a feral cat. It was low, deep and soft but with time increased its pitch. A singing soprano in the empty obscurity.Within the thin walls of the Derry Townhouse, up the stairs in a cramped hotel room, the cry subsided. If listening well, a quiet refrain of sniffling could be heard, a minuscule aria in comparison to its operatic friend. The source of anguished musicality was that of a man.Richie Tozier.//or, richie learns to move on
Relationships: Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier
Comments: 2
Kudos: 11





	portrait of the after (you)

A mangled sob pierced the air, crying out in the darkened night. A mournful melody that surpassed the sorrowful yowling of a feral cat. It was low, deep and soft but with time increased its pitch. A singing soprano in the empty obscurity. 

Within the thin walls of the Derry Townhouse, up the stairs in a cramped hotel room, the cry subsided. If listening well, a quiet refrain of sniffling could be heard, a minuscule aria in comparison to its operatic friend. The source of anguished musicality was that of a man. 

Richie Tozier. 

He wiped firmly at his eyes, his head pressed against a lumpy pillow. It had been hours now since he had begun crying. Richie raised his head slowly, a pang of hurt filling his skull. He felt dizzy, but the room wasn’t spinning. Richie stood, learning quickly that regaining his balance after copious amounts of alcohol was hard. He pressed his palm tightly against his forehead, trudging towards the bathroom with shaky limbs. 

He knelt downwards, his elbows propping himself up against the porcelain toilet below him. Richie leaned forwards, expelling out the bouts of vodka and liquor he had downed earlier in the evening. He wiped at his mouth, letting himself crumple against linoleum below him with heavy breaths. Richie stared upwards at the ceiling, the bright white plaster glaring back at him. 

His eyelids fluttered closed, and there he was. 

Floating, seeing things his mind would never forget. Things that would replay at night, killing him softly. 

And then he was on the ground. 

There was Eddie, lying above him, his mouth moving in a way that Richie’s ears couldn’t connect. But then there was blood, so much blood. Eddie looked down, the spear of a limb plunging through his chest cavity with a spray of red. His expression was what killed Richie, how helpless it made him feel as the love of his life murmured his name softly.

Richie opened his eyes. 

He reached upwards, flushing the toilet as he stood with trembling legs. The older man stared into the mirror, his reflection a ghost of white. He turned the faucet, splashing cold water against his clammy skin. He felt better. 

Richie exited the bathroom, reaching his bed and collapsing against the stained mattress with a groan. He lied there for what seemed like hours, his mind eventually giving way as he slipped into a deep slumber.  
White. 

That’s all he saw when he awoke. 

Richie looked downwards, relieved to see that he was still himself. He tilted his head upwards, his eyes adjusting to the brightness of the terrain around him. As he looked around, Richie could see a blurry image of someone approaching. 

Eddie. 

And then there he was, in front of him.

His red jacket and blue polo were stark clean, his cheek absent of the bandage and scar that had begun to form. 

“E-Eddie..?” Richie whispered, his voice a hushed tone, yet somehow higher than he remembered it being. 

He looked back up at the other, he was younger now, around thirteen or fourteen. He smiled back at Richie with a cheeky grin, the same that always adorned his lips all those summers ago. Eddie’s skin was a sunshiney-tan, freckles dotting his cheeks and arms, completely clear of wrinkles and age. His knee-high socks were pulled up tightly, his hand perched over the fanny-pack that rested on cherry red shorts. 

Richie looked downwards at himself, he was shorter, covered in bruises and scars from his early childhood that had since faded. He looked down at his clothes, now sporting a white button-down and grey shirt, covered in grass stains and tears. 

“Eddie it’s you! Fuck, please don’t leave!”

“Don’t ever fucking leave.” 

Richie broke down in sobs, pulling the younger boy tightly into his arms. He grasped at his shirt, palms full of yellow polyester. Richie buried his head into Eddie’s shoulder, inhaling deeply. He had that familiar scent that Richier remembered, a comforting mix of cherry chapstick and antibacterial soap. 

Eddie just smiled. 

“I love you, you know? B-But I was too much of a coward to tell you.”

“But fuck Ed’s, I loved you so much.”

Eddie looked up, resting a small hand on Richie’s cheek.

“I loved you too Richie, I always will.”

Richie smiled quietly, choking back tears. “But you’re gone, how am I supposed to go on without you?” He narrowed his eyes, hot tears stinging the corner of his eyes.

Eddie’s expression faded, “You know I’ll always be here with you Richie.” 

And with that, Richie watched Eddie lean up, the toes of his dirty white converse bending as he extended. But then Eddie’s lips were on his and oh, there it was. Richie leaned back, wrapping his arms around the other boy’s and pulling him in tighter. 

Eddie pulled away, looking up at Richie with a smile, “I love you Richie, always have.” 

“But you need to let go now.” 

And then Richie woke up.


End file.
